Automatically-threading shuttle for looms



Dec. 17, 1929.

WIMIIIHHIIHIMW E5 1? E. B. TIFFT AUTOMATICALLY THREADING SHUTTLE FOR LOOMS Filed March 28. 1928 llllll II ATTORNEY Fatented Dec. i7, 192% UNHTE STAE an eerie EMERSON B. TIFF'I', OF COHOES, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO DRAPER CORPORATION, OF HOPEDALE, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MAINE AUTOMATICALLY-THREADING SHUTTLE FOR LOOMS Application filed March 28, 1928. Serial No. 265,419.

This invention relates to automatically threading shuttles for looms and is more particularly directed to the tensiomng means for the thread as it is withdrawn from the shuttle.

It is now the ordinary practice to provide automatically threading shuttles with some kind of tensioning means for the purpose of controlling the thread as it is laid in the shed, but much difficulty has been experienced'with the tensioning means heretofore employed, especially on the first pick of the shuttle following replenishment. Should the tension of the thread on the first pick of the shuttle following replenishment be different from what it is on subsequent picks of the shuttle, it is liable to cause imperfect cloth to be woven, and especially is this true in weaving with some kinds or characters of filling or weft, such, for instance, as rayon, silk, artificial silk and the like.

To remedy the difiiculties that have been experienced, attempts have been made to provide automatically threading shuttles with spring clai'nping means between the members of which the thread may find its way during weaving and be thereafter suitably tensioned, but it has been found ditlicult to insure proper tensioning of the thread on the first pick following replenishment with this and other types of tensioning means, because if the thread is not normally engaged by the tensioning means on the first pick of the shuttle to enable the tensioning means to exert lts full tensioning effect, the. first pick is liable to show a defect in the cloth. In other cases, friction pads of yarn or textile material have been employed. but here again there was uncertainty that the pad would act to impart the desired tension to the thread on the first pick following replenishment, because of the swirl ins: action of the thread. in some of the cases advantage has been taken of the swirling action of the thread in an attempt to bring the thread into engagement with the tensioning means. but in none of these cases so far as is known have the attempts been practically successful.

()ne of the important features of the present invention therefore consists in a tensioning means for automatically threading shuttles for looms, wherein, on the first pick following replenishment, the thread will an erringly be placed in control of the tensioning means and thereafter held with the same normal tension throughout the weaving operation.

More specifically stated, the present invention provides means for directing the swirling thread on the first pick of the shuttle into complete control of the thread tensioning means and so positioning the thread that during the first pick of the shuttle and thereafter it will be subject to the tensioning action of pad material, a prcsser, and an angular tensioning eifectaboutthe end of the filling carrier or bobbin inthe shuttle, which remains substantially ing operation.

The invention and new features thereof and novel combination of parts will best be made clear from the following description and the accompanying drawings of one good form thereof.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the delivery end portion of an automatically threading loom shuttle provided with the present invention;

Fi g. 2 is a perspective view showing a threading block having the present invention associated therewith;

F ig. 3 is an end view of the threading block and features of the present invention. lookingil frontwardly from thebobbin chamber; ,an

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the threading block provided with the present invention and showing more particularly the relation of the pad and presser foot.

The shuttle 1 may be of usual construction and, as shown, is provided with the bobbin chamber 2, a longitudinally extending thread passage 3 and side delivery eye 4, it being understood that the filling carrier or bobbin 5 is held in the bobbin chamber by the usual bobbin holdin'g jaws (not shown) which permit the depleted filling carrier or bobbin to be ejected from the shuttle and another with a fresh supply of filling substituted therefor.

In the present illustration of the invention, the shuttle 1 is shown as provided with a constant throughout the weavi no.

or rous ccnditi may be of usual contl up; block t3 which s? on end have 130? ed therein the longi tuo J J extending thread passage 3 which coniununicetes with the side delivery eyeling block itself is deemed unnecessary, it

being understood, of course, that the threading block 6 is held in the threading chain a. cross-bolt which )asses ber of the shuttle by V 8 in the threading lock,

through an opening" as usual. I

The rear end portion of the threading block 6 h s secured thereto e. pad of yielding I11&-

l 9 which extends transversely ot the longitudinal thread The pad 9 may be of any suitable it. ction material such, for instance, as felt fabric or like substance having a, yielding or impressive surface,and, as shown in the present instance of the inven tion, the pad 9 overlies a support 10 and the l f is held in place by the end pornone 11 thereof being secured in suiteble :1 eese-es in the threading block, as more clearly indicated by F 2 end 3. The ped 9 I loceted between the longitudinal thread passage and the bobbin chamber and extends upwer lly, as indicated in Fig. 4, so that its upper portion will afford a yielding surface r n by which the filling *d and held, 'as will appear. While a .d e may be after more i ili felt is well-suited for the composition 4 7nd material, it is quite obvious that other characters of tiction pad material may be employed,

@n the first piclr of the shuttle following replenishment, as is welld'rnown, the end of is secured to some fixed point, such,

invention talres advantage of this act to effectively guide the swirling thread nto its final thread-tensioning position on i -96 first pick oi? shuttle following replenishrnent.

its one good end eii ectivenieans to this end, the shuttle is provided with u laterally and downwardly inclined thread presser which extends from a point adjacent the top of the thread passage and at its lower portion is provided with u presser toot located above the pad of friction material and normally held thereegainst by yielding means, the effect be that as the swirling thread is withdrewn from the shuttle during the first pick following replenishment, the laterally and downwardly inclined thread presser directs the swirling thread into position between the presser foot and in contact with the pad where it is held during the first pick of the shuttle following replenishment and during subsequent weaving, with the result that the thread a as it is withdrawn from the shuttle is subjected to the tensioninp; action of the pad, of the presser foot and the angular tension about the end of the filling carrier or bobbin, as will be more fully explained.

A detailed means or" carrying the present invention into effect is shown by-the drawings and comprises a thread presser carrier or arm 12 which is pivotelly mounted on the threading block at 13. The arm 12 has projecting from its end portion the laterally and.

downwardly inclined thread presser 14 which, at its lower end, is provided with a lateral or transversely extending presser foot 15,

In the construction thus for described it will be apparent that gravity acts upon the thread presser and presser foot to normally maintain them in operative position relative to the pad, but the present invention contemplates further that the threadpresscr and presser foot shall be subjected to the action of yielding means, such as a spring, to not forcefully upon the thread and cause it to engage the pad and, in some cases, it may be, sink into the material of the pad. As one appropriate ineons to this end, the threading block 6 is provided with e leaf spring 16 which is secured thereto by means such as the screw or bolt 17, and has its free end bearing upon the arm 12,13l16 eliect being that the leaf spring will normally not to depress the thread dress" and presser foot into the position in t by 2 end 3. 11';- is desirable at 0 vary the tensioning: action of the ring 16 where the filling or thread varies in Ze or character, and to this end the threadg block is provided with an adjusting dece 18 which, as shown, consists of e screw breaded into an overhanging portion 19 of the threadingblock and having its lower end portion bearingupon the top surface of the leaf spring 16, with the result that by inanipu lation of the adjusting screw 18 thetension of the leaf spring may be varied to suit conditions of use.

When the filling or thread a has passed into control of the thread prcsser and presser foot on the first piclr of the shuttle following replenishment, as indiacted in Fig. 3, it will be noted that the thread itself is forcibly held against the yielding pad, with the result that the thread is held from lateral displacement it 'e withdrawn from the shuttle and takes position substantially in axial alinenicnt with the longitudinal thread passage.

To insure a proper positioning of the thread laterally of the pad, the pro-"cut invention provides av stop {it one side of the thread passage, and this has been found desirable in some cases because owing to the swirling action of the thread on the first pick following replenishment it is liable to pass beyond the longitudinal axis of the thread passage, and the stop '20 prevents this occurrence.

The stop may be variously contrived but as shown in the present instance, it comprises an arm which may be conveniently formed of wire or similar material and pro vided with an-eye portion 21 through which passes the securing screw 22 which is threaded into the rear face portion of the threading block. From the eye portion of the stop, the material of the stop is turned to extend rearwardly between the thread presser 14 and the presser foot 15, and then downwardly, as indicated in Figs. 2 and 4, and then again laterally to underlie the rear portion of the threading block.

In accordance with one'feature of the present invention and to insure that the thread shall be placed in engagement with the pad or be sunk into its surface, the presser foot 15 of the thread presser acts upon the thread between the rear terminal portion of the thread passage in the threading block and the bobbin chamber to deflect the thread downwardly at this point, as indicated in Figs. 2 and 4, thereby insuring'a proper engagement of the thread with the pad surface as the thread is withdrawn from the shuttle. This condition is well shown by Fig. 4, wherein it will be notedthat the upwardly curved portion of the pad 9 is engaged by the presser 9 foot 15 between the longitudinal thread passage and the bobbin chamber to deflect the thread downwardly at this point and thus insure that the thread will engage the pad and be forced more or less into the yielding surface thereof. Once the thread is passed into the control of the tensioning means it will occupy a position as in Fig. 1, wherein it will be noted that the thread a is held by the pad substantially in axial alinement with the longitudinal thread passage and is there subjected not only to the frictional action of the pad and presser foot, but as the thread is withdrawn from the filling carrier or bobbin there will be an angular tensioning action of the thread about the end of the filling carrier or bobbin which is found to be desirable in weaving with certain kinds of yarn.

From the construction described as one good form of the present invention, it will be apparent at once that the thread is placed in control of the thread tensioning means and in its normal thread tensioning position on the first pick of the shuttle following replenishment and that thereafter during weaving it will occupy the same tensioning position,

with the result thatthe tension of the thread on the first pick of the shuttle following replenishment will remain the same as it is during subsequent weaving operations.

What is claimed 1s:

nvsaeaa 1. An automatically threading loom shuttle having a bobbin, a longitudinal thread passage and side delivery eye, and thread tensioning means comprising a pad extending upwardly and frontwardly from the bobbin chamber, athread presser having a surface inclined downwardly from the top and one side of the thread passage and pro vided with a transversely extending presser foot which engages the upwardly and frontwardly extending portion of the pad and yielding means to cause the presser foot to hold the thread on the upwardly and frontwardly extending portion of the pad as it is withdrawn from the shuttle that the thread may be subjected to angular friction tension about the end of the bobbin in addition to the tension between the presser foot and pad,

2. An automatically threading loom shuttle having a. bobbin chamber, a longitudina l thread passage and side delivery eye, and

'thread tensioning means comprising a pad extending transversely of the thread passage, and a thread presser having a presser foot to deflect the thread downwardly between the bobbin chamber and thread passage that the thread maybe deflectedinto frictional engagement with the pad before the thread reaches the entrance to the thread passage as it 'is withdrawn from the shuttle.

3. [in automatically threading loom shuttle having a bobbin chamber, a longitudinal thread passage and side delivery eye, and thread tensioning means comprising a pad extending transversely of the thread passage, and a thread presser having a presser foot to deflect the thread downwardly between the bobbin chamber and thread passage that the thread may be deflected into frictional engagement with the pad, and a stop for limiting} the lateral movement of the thread on the pa. I v p 4. An automatically threading loom shuttle having a longitudinal thread passage and sidedelivery eye, a friction pad extending transversely of the thread passage, a thread presser having a thread engaging surface inclined downwardly from one side of the thread passage and having a presser foot for engagement with the pad, a separate yielding arm connected to the shuttle and carrying the thread presser and presser foot, and a spring acting to force the presser foot into contact with the friction pad.

5. An automatically threading loom shuttle having a longitudinal thread passage and side delivery eye, a friction pad extending transversely of the thread. passage, a thread presser having a thread engaging sur face inclined downwardly from one side of the thread passage and having a presser foot for engagement with the pad, a. yielding arm stop at one side of the thread passage to limit the lateral movement of the thread.

6. An automatically. threading loom shuttle having a longitudinal thread passage and side delivery eye, a friction pad extending transversely of the thread passage, a thread presser having a thread engaging surface inclined downwardly from One side of the thread passage and having a presser foot for engagement with the pad, a yielding arm carrying the thread presser and presser foot, a spring acting to force the presser foot into contact with the friction pad, and a thread stop rearward of the pad to limit the lateral movement of the thread in one direction when engaged hythe pad.

7. An automatically threading loom shuttle having a bobbin chamber and side delivery eye, a threading block having a longitudinal thread passage a pad at the entrance of the thread passage, a thread presser extending in a lateral and downward direction from the top of the thread passage and having a presser foot for engagement with the pad, an arm mounted outside the thread passage for vertical movement and connected to the thread presser and spring outside the thread passage for depressing the thread presser into engagement with the pad.

8. A loom shuttle having a longitudinal thread passage. a pad of yielding frictional material in the thread passage a thread presser mounted for movement towards and fromv the pad outside the longitudinal thread passage and constituted as an arm extending in a lateral and downward direction from the top of the thread passage and provided with a lateral presser -toot for engagement with the pad of yielding inaterial and a spring acting upon the thread presser outside the thread passage to cause the foot of the presser to hold the thread in contact with the yielding surface of the pad material.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

EMERSON B. TIFFT.

. meaaea 

